The Congress on Monday barred its office-bearers from campaigning for either of the two candidates contesting for the post of the party president.

The party, in its guidelines for the election, said that those who wish to support any candidate will need to first resign from their organisational post.

“AICC general secretaries/in-charges, secretaries, joint secretaries, PCC [Pradesh Congress Committee] presidents, CLP [Congress Legislature Party] leaders, heads of frontal organisations, chiefs of departments, cells and all official spokespersons shall not campaign for or against contesting candidates,” the guidelines stated.

The election to decide the successor to the longest-serving party president Sonia Gandhi will take place on October 17. The results will be announced two days later.

The two candidates competing for the post are Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor and former Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge.

The Congress’ guidelines said that Kharge and Tharoor are contesting the election in their personal capacity, and that delegates are free to elect any one of them.

The party told Pradesh Congress Committee chiefs to “extend courtesy” to the candidates during their visits to their states. It also directed them to arrange for a meeting hall, chairs and public announcement equipment for candidates who wished to hold meetings with Pradesh Congress Committee delegates.

“However, no such meeting can be called by the PCC president in their personal capacity,” the guidelines stated. “Organising the meeting is the task of the proposer or the supporters of the contesting candidates.”

Tharoor said that he welcomed the guidelines laid down by the party.

Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said that he had sought leave as chairperson of media and publicity department to campaign for the candidate of his choice.

“GS [General Secretary in charge of communications] Jairam Ramesh did not grant me leave citing compulsions of running the department,” he said on Twitter. “I will have to make do with just voting for the candidate.”

Tharoor and Kharge filed their nomination papers for the election on September 30.

Ten Congress leaders – AK Antony, Ashok Gehlot, Ambika Soni, Mukul Wasnik, Anand Sharma, Abhishek Singhvi, Ajay Maken, Bhupinder Hooda, Digvijaya Singh and Tariq Anwar – signed as proposers for Kharge. Congress MPs Karti Chidambaram, Pradyut Bordoloi, MK Raghavan and Mohammad Jawed were among those who proposed Tharoor’s name.